Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Nev on January 12, 2009, 03:56:48 PM
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Hey all,
Newbie here. I'd like some advice on some BKP's. I've got a USA Rhoads from 1989. It's made of mostly Adler wood, fretboard is Ebony. It feels great and nice to play.
I've tried EMG 81 and 85, decent but sterile souding. I've put in a Gison 500T, better than EMG, but still not "WOW",
I put in a Duncan SH6, about the same as the 500T.
I play hard Rock/Metal, can you recommend a BKP that will make this guitar really growl and bite?
Thanks,
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Hello & welcome :)
To save a lot of typing, we just had a discussion on this here (http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=15533.0)
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I've tried EMG 81 and 85, decent but sterile souding. I've put in a Gison 500T, better than EMG, but still not "WOW",
I put in a Duncan SH6, about the same as the 500T.
I play hard Rock/Metal, can you recommend a BKP that will make this guitar really growl and bite?
I've been through this same path, but on mahogany
and I agree about the SH6 being very similar to the 500t (a bit more muddy, imo)
the closest voicing to these two is definitel the painkiller
but it's way tighter and clearer
the miracle man has a close output, but a different voicing, with a monster low end punch, less midrange and laser beam highs
the painkiller was too tight and "clean" for my tastes
the miracle man had tight bass too (way tighter than the sh6 too) and beautiful grind in the low mids, but the highs can be spikey sometimes, and my amp is already very dry sounding (Framus Cobra)
I'd keep it for a Mesa Boogie or something
so I ended my ceramic pursuit with a cold sweat
it's voiced right between the PK and MM, with more mid crunch (more crunch, but less mids than the PK), balanced bass (not extremely tight like the painkiller, neither boosted like the MM) and sweet highs like the PK
warmer, crunchier and more balanced
I'd say it has a bit less output than SH6, but it's hotter than the SH5
but... I'm a mahogany lover (that sounded gay :lol:)
for alder I'd probably pick a Holy Diver, maybe with alnico 8 for a bit more tightness (I have an A8 HD in a Gibson SG)
funny thing is that I ended with a ceramic pickup that sounds a bit more alnico and an alnico pickup that sounds a bit more ceramic :lol:
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I once played a SL1 with a MM (which has a similare build as the RR) and I definitely found it way too bright for my taste. (If I'm not mistaken it was a Brunetti amp if that's useful)
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Thanks for the replies, I'm using high gain amps but don't dial in too much of it in my tone. I've got a Marshall JVM and a ENGL Invader 150. ENGL cabs.
Some of my guitars sound killer through them (Ibanez RG, Ibanez Saber, Charvel Model 4, Jackson Y2K) but the Rhoads just needs a little something more to get there. I can't explain it. I guess I'll just have to keep on experimenting with pickups to see which one suits me. I was hoping to get some direction from you all, which I did. Many thanks!!!
p.s. If anyone has some used pickups that were recommended let me know.
Cheers...
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the Rhoads just needs a little something more to get there
That's exactly how I felt about my RR1T before I put a Holy Diver (http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=6308.0) set in it...
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as i've said in your thread on the jackson forum :D
ceramic warpig :P ... well, that's my future #1 for everything hehe
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Cold Sweat 8)
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+1 on ceramic warpig
Put one in Davey's Jackson Dinky and it was freakin awesome